Duties

Summary

This position is in the Office of the Director, Office of Legislative and Public Affairs. The Office of Legislative and Public Affairs develops information programs that communicate the mission, goals, policies, and accomplishments of the National Science Foundation in science and engineering research and education to specialized audiences, including Congress, other Federal agencies, state and local governments, research and education communities, the news media and the general public.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The employee serves as the Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist in the Public Affairs Section within the Public and Media Affairs Branch in OLPA, with responsibility for formulating external affairs strategies around NSF activities and relevant issues. The employee is the the first-level supervisor for the team and performs all functions of a supervisor such as: planning and assigning work; evaluating performance; providing advice/guidance; performing hiring functions; resolving complaints; performing disciplinary actions, when necessary; identifying training needs and increasing productivity.

Other duties include:

• Overseeing the development of the annual strategic communications plan in consultation with the other branches within OLPA to define NSF communication goals, objectives, primary messages, strategies and tactics, as well as campaigns and communications plans for the agency.
• Preparing and maintaining standardized digital content keyed towards target audiences and ensures a consistent message in alignment with the mission and vision of NSF.
• Developing innovative methods and opportunities to share information about NSF activities with the public.
• Ensuring consistency of messaging in NSF branded materials.
• Providing editorial reviews and guidance/approvals of information to be released to the internal and external audiences as appropriate including presentations, videos, brochures, email lists and other NSF communications.
• Serving as a Project manager responsible for strategic planning; advising and making recommendations to senior NSF officials; coordinating with internal NSF and external partner organizations; selecting activities and themes; identifying and inviting expert speakers and presenters; and identifying opportunities for NSF senior leadership to speak about the NSF mission.
• Preparing talking points, briefing materials, presentations, and other communication products for use by management.
• Furthering the goals of equal employment opportunities (EEO) by taking positive steps to assure the accomplishment of affirmative action objectives and by adhering to nondiscriminatory employee practices in regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability.

Competencies:

Technical Competency - Public Affairs/Outreach

Technical Competency - Analytical Skills

Supervision

Communication

Collaboration

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional Travel is required.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
14

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Background investigation.
• Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.
• US citizenship.
• Supervisory/managerial probationary period.

It is NSF policy that NSF personnel employed at or IPAs detailed to NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign government talent recruitment programs. Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment and referral to the Office of Inspector General. Foreign Talent Definitions

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire.

All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Qualifications

To qualify at the GS-14 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in federal service designing and planning communication and outreach activities for an organization. Examples of specialized experience includes: researching and writing articles, fact sheets, presentations and/or other materials for internal and external audiences; planning communication and outreach programs; establishing and maintaining relationships with public affairs stakeholders, including those from other government organizations, academia, the press and news media; and developing strategic communications plans for an organization.

Education

Education may enhance skills required for this position; however, no substitution of education for specialized experience may be made at this level.

Additional information

Relocation Expenses will not be paid.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP):
ICTAP and CTAP provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least "Very Good" on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.
Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources

Veteran's Preference:
If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions. For 10-point veterans' preference, please submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, DD-214, and the required documentation as specified on the SF-15.

NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for telework. Work suitable for telework depends on job duties; therefore, employees must receive approval from their supervisor for telework and have a telework agreement in place. Entering into a telework agreement is voluntary.

For additional information on the NSF eRecruit system, please visit our NSF eRecruit Applicant Guide .

This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Science Foundation.

The Selected Candidate(s) may be subject to a background investigation.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Category rating procedures will be used to rank and select eligibles. Based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire, you will be assigned a score. Your score will determine in which of three categories you will be placed: Excellent, Very Good, or Good. Under this process, veterans will be assigned to the appropriate category (without additional preference points) and then placed at the top of their category. Veterans with service-connected disability of 10% or more will be placed at the top of the highest quality category.

The information contained in your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you meet the competencies required of this position. Please ensure you answer all questions accurately. Your responses are subject to verification. In support of your responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, your resume should include verbiage that describes your experience relative to the position for which you are applying and provide examples that show the depth of knowledge, level of skill, or degree of ability you possess. If your application does not support your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire or your application is not complete, it may affect your evaluation or result in your name being removed from further consideration. In some cases, additional assessment processes may be used.

Applicants eligible for selection preference under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or CTAP must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." In NSF categories, this means at least "Very Good" with a score of 90.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

All applicants should submit a resume/CV of their choice, and may also submit a cover letter.

Additional Documents, if applicable, may include:

Veteran's Preference Documentation (DD-214 and SF-15): If you are eligible and claiming 5-point veteran's preference, you MUST submit a copy of your "member copy 4 version" DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veteran's preference, you MUST submit a copy of your DD-214, SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" and the documentation required by the SF-15. (Please note: An SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing veterans' preference will not be accepted as proof of entitlement.)

CTAP/ICTAP Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.

Performance appraisals and awards may be considered during the evaluation process if voluntarily submitted.

All uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.